So many prayers.
Consuming. The obligation.
When did you realize you were talking to yourself?
On Prayer
by kairos 15 Replies latest jw friends
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kairos
I unknowingly knew all along, as anytime I would try to pray out loud while alone I felt like a fool and could not finish.
I gave what must be hundreds of public prayers.
All rambling nonsense.
With an audience, somehow, jehobo was listening.25 years of waiting for any kind of answer or direction was finally enough for my 'faith'.
Gullible does not begin to describe my state of mind.
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life is to short
I always felt stupid, even when I was totally in. As a women it was worse if I ever had to pray in public such as if there was no brother meeting for service and you had to have a head covering. It was so stupid when you put a paper towel on your head.
I always felt like I was talking to myself and I tried and tired and tried to find something in the smallest thing to prove that Jehovah or God was listening and I got nothing.
I especially hated praying over food thanking God for giving it to us. I always wondered why? If God gave us our food that we worked for and would not have if we did not get up every morning and go to work, then why did not God give food to those in 3 world country's who were so poor and worked twice as hard as we do. Some people work 8 to 10 hours a day and don't have food, or if they do they give it to their children.
So does God love us in prosperous country's more? And if that is the case then why thank a God who treats half his children so horribly?
None of it ever truly made sense to me.
LITS
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James Mixon
When I was young 7-8 years old the preacher (Baptist) said something about praying
in your closet I thought, I'm sure he was referring to Matt; 6;6 "when you pray, go into your room".Well I went into my closet and while praying I found a diamond ring. My older brother had purchase a ring for his girl friend and
not told our mom. It's funny i was praying for a new bike...
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prologos
saw a billboard on a church some time ago: : Prayer is not to bend god's will to yours, but to bend your will to god's. In my mind, read what nature tells you, and adjust your thinking, actions to reality. Prayer over food??? yes! the cook for preparing it, so well, and without the creative event, nothing would be here, food for thought. -
Spiral
I never felt like anyone was listening - it was all just talking to myself. How great it is not having to pretend anymore. -
Ucantnome
I didn't -
punkofnice
When did you realize you were talking to yourself?
I don't know, really. I remember I had left the JWs and was sitting in a church, looking at the rafters as prayers of 'intercession' were said. I said quietly to myself, 'no one is listening.'
It struck me that the prayers were similar stuff to any religion and god does NOTHING! Therefore, I concluded there was no god. I became an atheist in a church. How ironic is that?!?
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Divergent
In this era of modern technology where instant & conclusive answers are expected & interaction is crucial, prayer has lost its relevance. People do not want to be kept waiting on an invisible source who does not interact with them & does not provide any concrete evidence of his help! -
The Rebel
It all depends what you mean by prayer, but when I was a child I was in love with a girl who had a wart on her knee, and I guess that was when I made my first prayer, in the hope that God would make her mine. It didn't happen but I have since kissed other girls, whose lips were wet,greasy and yuggy. So sometimes I still pray I could for once in my life find a beautiful girl to kiss whose lips were sweet and soft, and as tasteful as red wine and as the girl with a wart on her knee.
The Rebel.